The present invention relates to a method for cleaning/disinfecting/sterilizing the water circuits of dental units and to a dental unit implementing the method.
As is by now well within the knowledge of experts in the trade, the water circuits of dental units of the latest generation can be subjected to different types of cleaning/disinfecting/sterilizing cycles depending on requirements: a long or night cycle for aggressive treatment of the water circuit to thoroughly destroy contaminating agents, and a short cycle for quick disinfection of the circuit during the day, for example, between patients or during the lunch break.
In practice, the water circuit, which usually consists of a main fluid supply conduit and a series of branches leading to the handpieces, is supplied with cleaning/disinfecting/sterilizing fluid from an appropriate supply line until the main conduit and the handpiece branches, which are closed by suitable valves, is completely full.
After a predetermined length of time, the cleaning/disinfecting/sterilizing fluid is drained out and the circuit is filled with rinsing or user fluid.
The Applicant, in line with a policy of continual improvement of dental unit hygiene and safety and with a view to extending the capabilities of cleaning/disinfecting/sterilizing cycles, has conducted much research aimed at developing a method, and a dental unit to implement the method, for cleaning/disinfecting/sterilizing the water circuit of the dental unit where the cycle times can be selected from a wide range of programmed times in accordance with the desired degree of aggressiveness on the contaminating agents in the circuit branches and in accordance with the time of day in which the cycle must be carried out.